Algarinejo is a typical Andalusian country village. A small but pretty pueblo situated on the edge of the sierra subbetica, in the western most point of the Province of Granada. Algarinejo currently has around 3,500 residents, two banks, several supermarkets, many bustling bars, and its best surprise is a restaurant named 'Piolas', which was recently voted one of the best two restaurants in Western Granada, by the Spanish newspaper 'Ideal'. This came as no surprise to us as we have been eating there for the last three years. Their international menu offers a varied selection and the food is always of superb quality. The fact that we have known people to travel from as far as Malaga and Granada to eat there is testament in itself.
The above picture is Algarinejo pueblo taken from the Loja road
Algarinejo, like most places in Spain, has many fiestas throughout the year culminating in the biggest and best (4 days long!) at the end of August (just before the local children return to school). Spanish people take their fiestas very seriously and know how to enjoy themselves to the full so if you get chance to participate we hope you enjoy yourself as much as they do.
Picture of church in 'Plaza de Espana', Algarinejo.
This is 'real' Spain where the people go out of their way to be friendly, the food is excellent, and it is a tradition that you will be given a plate of 'Tapas' with every alcoholic drink consumed. Algarinejo is ideally situated being only 45 minutes from Granada International Airport, and one hour from Malaga Airport. In one hour you can also be in the centre of Granada, and both Cordoba and Seville are around one and a half hours drive away. Rural tourism is high on the agenda for the Junta de Andalusia and all over the region many thousands of euros are being spent improving the infrastructure, including the roads etc to improve access and encourage tourists inland. We hope that you will give serious consideration to venturing inland to enjoy the 'real Spain' that we know and love.
Iznajar
Twenty minutes from Algarinejo travelling west is the pretty village of Iznajar with its spectacular lake. You can while away your time stretched out on the beach, or take advantage of the watersports available in the summer months which are currently restricted to pedaloes and canoes. In order to attract more tourists into the area plans are afoot to introduce more watersports to the lake, so soon it may be possible to take boat trips, waterski and even jetski on the lake. We are currently awaiting news from the Town Hall and will update our pages as soon as we hear any news.
Picture of Lake at Iznajar
There are also many species of fish in the lake and fishing is available at various points, however please contact us if you wish to fish as in Spain a special licence is required or you need to be accompanied by someone who carries this licence (this can be arranged for a small fee). However I have heard recently that if you can produce a UK fishing license as evidence, the Medio Ambiente office in Malaga, will give you permission to fish for the period of time that you are visiting.
Montefrio
Twenty minutes to the east of Algarinejo is the equally pretty village of Montefrio which is famous for its olives and its castle, which is perched high on the hilltop overlooking the village. The old church built in the 14th century was built on the highest point of the hillside overlooking the town and is well worth a visit due to its most unusual architecture. In 1767 the church was damaged during a storm and, despite the fact that no major structural damage was caused, was abandoned by the local people who built a new church down in the village. There was method in their madness as, once the new church was built, they no longer had to climb the steep hill each time they wished to attend a church service. Having climbed this pathway myself I guess I can fully understand their reasoning. However I must stress that the church and the views are so spectacular that it is well worth your while making the effort.
Picture of Montefrio showing the old church on the pinnacle of the hill
Another place of major interest in the area is the archaelogical site situated just outside of the village. This site was named 'Las Penas de los Gitanos' or 'The Cliffs of the Gypsies' because the area was inhabited by nomads until the the end of the 18th century.
Picture taken on the site of 'Las Penas de los Gitanos '
Entrances to the site are cordoned off and cars are not allowed onto the site itself. You are however able to enter on foot. We stayed in a house just down the road on our first visit to the Montefrio area around 7 years ago and at this time access to the site was not allowed. However when we returned a few years later we were informed that the owner of the land had finally agreed to allow visitors on to the site. This came after many years of dispute with the government who apparently would not agree to pay him the amount of money he wanted in order to hand the site over to them. It is an area of great historical significance and well worth a visit.
Fuentes de Cesna
Situated between Iznajar and Algarinejo the village of Fuentes de Cesna has something of a tragic past history. In 1940 a great rain storm occurred and the sheer volume of rain caused a massive landslide. Much of the town was buried under rock and rubble, and many homes and lives were lost.
As a result of a similar storm in 1963 plans were drawn up for the construction of a new village in a safer location. The construction of 200 homes, a church and a school was completed in 1966 and if you decide to visit the village you will notice that all the buildings are very modern. What remains of the old town, now no more than a ghost town, can still be seen. Whilst it feels quite eerie visiting a place where so many lives were lost or destroyed, it is a fascinating place to see.
This area can offer some of the most spectacular scenery around, and a local Spaniard with intimate knowledge of the area has offered to run Sunday morning tours in a 9 seater 4 x 4 vehicle at a low cost for anyone interested. He will take you onto private land where you will have the opportunity to view birds of prey and their nesting sites, and see the most spectacular views that you would never find without local knowledge. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip on the morning we went and felt it was money well spent and then to top it all breakfast at a local bar is included in the price of €25 per person. If you would like to book a tour please email us at: .
El Torcal
The unique and impressive landscape of the 'Parque Natural Torcal de Antequera has, apparently, been used frequently in science fiction films. The park is visited by around 100,000 people every year, and so in order to best protect the land and it's vast array of natural flora and fauna, it was declared a national park in 1979.
The Visitor Centre is an excellent source of information about the history, and conservation plans for the area, and you can choose to take part in an organised tour (if you feel a little overwhelmed by the size of the area), or you can opt to walk around yourself. Either way we are sure that you will not be disappointed. You will have the opportunity to see a vast variety of wildlife which can include rare birds of prey i.e. vultures, eagles, falcons, sparrowhawks along with rabbits, fox, wildcats and weasels. You may also be lucky enough to see some of the rare wild orchids that are exclusive to the area.
